Carpet-sweeper.



W. KATAKO.

CARPET SWEEPER. APPLICATION r1150 JUNE 12. 1916 1,230,489. Patented June 19, 1917.

Tam

WASAKU KATAKO, 0]? LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CABPET-SWEEPEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 1917.

Application filed June 12, 1816. Serial No. 103,055.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WASAKU KATAKO, a subject of the Em ire of Japan, residing at Los Angeles, in e county of Los Angeles and States of California, have invented a new and useful Carpet-Sweeper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices of the character havin traction wheels and a brush operated by sai traction wheels and an object of the invention is to make pIOVlSlOD. for maximizing the length of time the brush may be used.

Another object is to make provision for readily cleaning threads and the like from the brush.

Another object is to maximize the sweep ing effect of the brush by positively driving the brush from the traction wheels so that slippage of the brush relative to said wheels cannot occur.

Another object is to effect the foregoing by simple and reliable construction.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sweeper embodymg the invention, a portion of the cover being broken away to expose portions of the brush and comb, and a portion of the handle being broken away to contract the view.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line indicated by a2 w Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line indicated by m -w Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation from line indicated by w en, Fig. 1.

There is provided a suitable box or receptacle 1 having a cover 2 hinged at 3 and having pans 4 of any suitable construction for catching the material swept up by the device.

To the ends of the box 1 are fastened supports in the form of metal strips 5 provided midway of their ends with standards 6 on the inner faces of which are shiftably mounted brackets 7 having inwardl projecting studs 8 to journal a shaft 9 o a brush 10, said shaft being provided at its ends with toothed wheels 11. The teeth of the wheels 1] engage sockets 12 in the peripheries of traction wheels 13 which are mounted on shafts 14 that are journaled in the ends of the box at 15 and at 16 in the support 5. The sockets 12 being in the peripheries of the traction wheels 11 also function to prevent slippin of the wheels relative to the carpet or rug em swept when the device is in use.

The brac ets 7 slide in guides 17 which may be formed by tongues 'bent inward from the standards 6. The brackets 7 are bent inward at their upper ends to form horizontal flanges 18, said flanges being provided with upwardly projecting adjusting screws 19 which are rotatively connected to said flanges and which are screw -'threaded through flanges 20 of the standards 6. The ad usting screws 19 are provided at their upper ends with spur gear teeth 21 meshing with spur gear teeth 22 on adjusting screws 23 which are screw-threaded through the flanges 20, the ratio of the gear. teeth 21, 22 glvmg .a two to one reduction from the screws 23 to the screws 19. The adjusting screws 23 have their lower ends connected to the ends of a bar 24, being so connected to said bar as to permit of free turning of the screws. The ends of the bar 24 and shaft 9 pass through slots 24' in the ends of the box 1. The bar 24 is provided with teeth 25 bent downward at an angle to said bar and projecting into the brush 8 so that as said brush turns threads, hairs and the like taken up by the brush will be caught by the teeth 25 to thereby free the brush from said threads and hairs, the bar 24 and teeth 25 thus functioning as a comb to clean the brush. The screws 23 pass through the bar 24. a r

The supports 5 are provided with studs 26 engagmg a bail 27 having a handle 28 attached'thereto whereby the device may be propelled over the surface to be swept.

In practice the sweeper will be run forward and backward on the traction wheels 13, thus causing rotation of the brush 8 to sweepl up dirt and the like from-the surface on w ich the wheels are running. When the brush is turning in the direction of the arrow a Fig. 3, an threads, hairs or the like in the brush will e caught by the teeth 25 and when said brush rotates in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow a the hairs, threads and the like caught by the teeth 25 will be brushed from said teeth by the brush 8 and will fall into one of the pans 4.

When the brush 8 wears down to such an extent that it is no longer as effective as it should be in the swee ing operation, the adjusting screws 23 Wlll be turned by a screw driver or in any other suitable way to lower the bar 2a and bracket 7, thereby lowering the comb teeth 25 and the brush 8. Owing to the gear ratio of two to one be tween the adjusting screws 19 and 22, it is clear that when the brush is lowered to comensate for wear thereof the teeth 25 will he lowered just twice the amount of the lowering of the brush to compensate for the wear on both sides of the brush as is well understood.

From the foregoing it is clear that the brush will be positively driven so as to maximize the sweeping effect, the construction of the traction wheels being such as to leave their peripheries smooth for traveling over the surface to be cleaned and at the same time capable of engaging the toothed wheels 11 so as to drive the brush.

The foregoing will enable those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains to make and use said invention.

I claim:

1. A sweeper comprising a receptacle, a brush in the receptacle having a shaft, toothed wheels on the ends of the shaft, and traction wheels rotatively mounted at the ends of the receptacle and'provided in their peripheries with sockets to engage the teeth of the toothed wheels.

2. A sweeper comprising a receptacle, a shaft rotatively mounted in the receptacle, a brush on the shaft, traction wheels, driving connections between the traction wheels and the shaft, a comb arranged with its teeth projecting into said brush, and means to simultaneously adjust the shaft and comb.

-3. A sweeper comprising a receptacle, supports at the ends of the receptacle fastened thereto, standards midway of the ends of the supports, brackets shiftable up and down on the standards, a brush in the receptacle having a shaft rotatively connected to the brackets, traction wheels for the receptacle operatively connected to said shaft, a comb having its teeth engaging the brush, and means to adjust the brackets and comb simultaneously.

' 4. A sweeper comprising a receptacle, a brush rotatively mounted in said receptacle, traction, wheels operatively connected to said brush, and a slidably mounted comb arranged with its teeth projecting into said brush.

A sweeper comprising a receptacle, 2.

brush rotatively mounted in said receptacle, traction wheels operatively connected to said brush, a comb arranged with its teeth projecting into Said brush, and means accessible externally of the receptacle to adjust said comb relative to said brush.

6. A sweeper comprising a receptacle, a brush rotatively and adjustably mounted in said receptacle, traction wheels operatively connected to said brush, a comb arranged with its teeth projecting into said brush and adjustable relative to said brush, and means to adjust the brush and to simultaneously adjust the comb twice the distance of adjustment of the brush.

7. A sweeper comprising a receptacle, a brush in the receptacle having a shaft, toothed wheels onthe ends of the shaft, brackets shiftably connected to the receptacle and provided with studs to journal the ends of the shaft, adjusting screws for said brackets, and traction wheels having sockets engaging the teeth of the toothed wheels and mounted on the receptacle independent of the shiftable brackets.

8. A sweeper comprising a receptacle, supports at the ends on the receptacle connected therewith, standards on said supports, brackets' shiftably engaging said standards, a brush having a shaft rotatively connected to said brackets, a comb having its teeth proj ecting into said brush, traction wheels operatively connected to said shaft and mounted at the ends of the receptacle, screws adjustably connecting the brackets to the standards and provided with gear teeth, and other screws adj ustably connecting the comb to the standards and provided with gear teeth meshing with the gear teeth of the first named screws.

9. A sweeper comprising a receptacle having slots, a brush rotatively mounted in said receptacle, traction wheels operatively connected to said brush, a comb arranged with its teeth projecting into said brush, the ends of the comb projecting through said slots, and means engaging the projecting ends of the comb to adjust said comb toward and from said brush.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 27th day of May 1916.

WASAKU KATAKO.

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. HILns, MASAYOSHI KoJIMER. 

